New Chicken Momma from NJ

Good Morning Everyone! I am new to raising chickens and this site has been such an incredible source of information! My flock of 4 consists of a Buff Orphington ( Teriaki), Brahma ( Beezus), Easter Egger ( Ramona) and a Bantam something ( Ella). They are roughly 8 weeks old.

After quitting my full time job in healthcare management to be a full time mom and wife ( both of which suffered greatly when I was working 14 hours a day for someone else), I realized that I had no hobbies! There was never any time for one. Well, one Saturday afternoon, our town was having a fair and our local 4-H chapter was there with some animals. My two girls and I were immediately drawn to the chicks. Who wouldn't be! They are so cute and fluffy! I had to drag the kids ( and, admittedly, myself) away. Later that week, I was on Pinterest looking for landscaping ideas when I came across what I thought was a beautiful shed with the most exquisite landscaping. When i found out that it was a chicken coop I nearly fell off my chair. I thought chicken coops were ugly boxes surrounded by a chicken wire fence! This started my fascination with all things chicken! I did all my homework, managed to convince my husband about what a great idea this was ( fresh eggs, compost, self-sufficiency..), made sure my town allowed them, asked my neighbors permission ( they were all very intrigued and supportive) and then on June 6th, my daughters and I brought home our 2 week old chicks!

All I can say is that this has been the most enjoyable experience EVER! I love watching my girls grow and they are a constant source of entertainment for the entire family! We have arranged our backyard furniture around the coop and watch their antics like TV. It had encouraged us to spend more time outdoors and has definitely bonded us as a family. I have a 16 yr old son with Aspergers ( high functioning autism) and sitting in front of the chickens has become THE place to calm down during times of high anxiety. Better than any medication!

I am thrilled to have found BYC and hope to connect with members in my area!

Glad you could join us here! What a fabulous intro there and I'm so pleased you and all your family are enjoying your new chicken adventures. I too find them very therapeutic and love sitting out with them. It's great to hear they have been so helpful for your son too, Blooie has a thread all about raising chickens with kids and special needs ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/935165/raising-chickens-and-special-needs-kids